Adhesive applicator



Jan. 24, 1950 v Filed NOV[ 5, 1948 J. K. M. HARRISON ADHESIVE APPLICATOR2 Sheets-Sheet l III I Patented Jan. 24, 1950 N l PAT E N T F Fl CEADHESIVE APPLICATOR JohnlKeai'sley'Harrison, Gainesville, Va.lassiicatian Keven-rear 5, 1948, Serial No. 58,383

.1 This invention relates to "adhesive applicatorsand "more particularlyto a machine for applying a band of adhesive within -a tubular containeras a step precedent to the attachment of thecontainer end closure. v

In the manufacture of non-metallic containers of the type in which atube is formed, closed at onee'nd, then filled fr'om-the-other endandfinally closed at'said other end, -a;problem is presented in theapplicationof the ad'hesive which is used to bond in position the endclosure which is i'nserted after completion of the filling operation.This problem arises' froin the very nature of the operation to beperformed which requires that the adhesive be supplied rapidly, evenlyand in such quantity and so located within the container that noopportunity is afforded for the adhesive to fiow into or mix with thecontents of the container. n 'In order to prevent mixingoftheadhesive'with the contents of the container, it has long been customaryto employ adhesives of "high viscosity. While "this prevents theadhesive applied to theinterior of the container from mixing with thecontainer'contents, it creates an additional problem of feedingtheadhesive at anad'equate rate and in uniform quantities to thepointcfuse.

'It-istothe solution of the "adhesive supply problem that the presentinvention is directed, and it is tin-objector the present-invention toprovide apparatus adapted for use either with fully automatic or jfull'ymanual filling and closing machinery whereby adhesive of any desired composition andphy'sical properties "is supplied in a convenient andreliable manner to form an accurately "located "band of adhesive withina container. V 7

"Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent uponconsideration of the following detailed description of an embodimentthereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure '1 is a viewin side elevation'of a manual adhesive applicatorconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure z is a'viewin vertical section taken on the line 2*2 of Figure'1; and I "Figure 3 is a view in'sectio'n taken on the line 3-"- 3df'Figdre 2.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 0designates a stationary plat: form which isdisp'os'ed in fixed spacedrelationship above a conveying mechanism, not shown, which suppliescontainers which have been filled and which are to be supplied withadhesive pre- The adhesive applicator of the present invention isresiliently supported from the platform lilby standards H and 12 whichare'bolted'at l3 and I4 to the platform H! and which extend upwardlytherefrom and pass through a support plate 15. Standards ll and +2are'provided, respectively, with adjustable locking collars 1B- and t1,and between these collars'and'the plate [5 there'are disposed coilsprings i8- and 19. 'It is therefore apparent that the plate 'l'5'isresiliently supported by the springs 18 and 'l9'which are, in turn,-supported by the collars Wand H, which through the standards 1! and P2are supported from the platform it. It is likewise apparent that, de--pending upon the position of the collars 'andthe resulting adjustment ofthe thrust of the springs [Band 19, the normal or repose level-of theplatform can be predetermined.

Attached'to the-platform l5, -or integral therewith, are a pairof ears2'0 and 2| which support oppositely-extending studs 2-2 and 23. Alever2-4 is pivotally mounted over the -stud 22, and a similar lever ispivotally mounted overthe stud 2'3, and these two levers are keyed attheir opposite ends to a shaft 26 which is p'ivot'ally mounted inbearings provided in the upperends'of twostandards 2-1 and '28 whichextend upwardly from the fixed platform 10. Intermediate the bearings 21and 28, another lever 29 is mounted, and this lever is attached to theshaft '26 'for movement therewith.

--Itis now apparent that, if the-lever Ellis moved clockwise from theFigure 1 position, the shaft 26 will be moved clockwise, and thismovement, imparted to the levers 24 and '25, will cause the plate 15 to"be *moved downwardly against the action of springs 18 and [9.Similarly, release of the lever 29 "from the broken-line position ofFigure 1 will permit the springs I8 and $9 to operate to restore theplate l5 toits normal posi tion which, as was stated before, can besomewhat predetermined by the position-of collars l5 and H.

' Mounted on the plate I 5 there is a tube 30 which constitutes-animportant part of the adhesive applicator. The tube is shown as held bylocking collars 3 1 and 32 acting on it from opposite sides of the-plate15. It is apparent, however, that any other means for rigidly supportingthe tube 30 can be used in lieu of that specifically shown. The tube 3|]is provided at-a point below the locking collar 32 with an'ou'twardly--ex'tending connection or nipple 33 to which there is attacheda=fiexib1e adhesive supply conduit 34,

The adhesive supply conduit leads through a positive displacement typepump 35 into an adhesive storage tank 36.

The upper end of the tube 30 is attached to a Sylphon bellows 31, andthe top plate 38 of the bellows receives and holds a valve stem 39 whichis attached to the plate 38 by locking nuts 40 and 4|, or otherwise asmay be expedient in any given installation. The valve stem 3!], remotefrom the end which is mounted in the plate 38, is provided with a valve42 which seats against a valve seat provided in the lower end of tube30. A rotatable sleeve 44 having a bell mouth 43. is mounted over thetube 33 for rotation with respect thereto, but is locked againstrelative axial movement with respect to said tube. The sleeve 44 isprovided with an elongate key 45, and through this key it is connectedto a sheave 4B which receives a belt 41 by which the sheave 46 andthrough it the sleeve 44 can be rotated. The bell mouth 43 of the sleeve44 is provided with a mouth enclosure member 48 which is held in spacedrelationship from the mouth of the bell by studs 49. The studs 49 sospace the member 48 from the bell mouth 43 as to provide an annular slotfor the centrifugal distribution of adhesive. The plate 15, in additionto supporting the tube 30, also supports a standard 50 which, at itsupper end, is provided with a bearing supporting a lever 52 for rockingmovement. One end of this lever is in a position to coact with the upperend of the valve stem 39, and the other end is positioned to coact witha stop member 53 which is mounted in fixed position from any convenientsupport, such as from the platform in.

In operation, a container, such as the tubular container 54 shown inFigures 1 and 2 of the drawings, comes into vertical registry below thebell mouth 43 of the sleeve 44. If now adhesive is to be applied to theinterior of this container, the belt 41 is caused to be driven so thatthe sleeve 44 and all parts associated with it are caused to rotate.This rotation, of course, is in the full-line position of Figure 1 andis still in the plane above the top edge of the container. If now thelever 29 is moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, to thebroken-line position shown in Figure 1, the bell mouth 43 is lowered tothe broken-line position of Figure 1. As this movement is accomplished,all of the parts which are supported directly or indirectly from theplate I5 move downwardly. Thus, the relative positions of the sleeve 39,the sleeve 44 and the valve 42 remain the same as they are in Figure 2,the valve being biased to closed position by the bellows 31. However,after the movement has proceeded to such an extent that the lever 52strikes the stop 53, the lever 52 is rocked in a clockwise direction asshown in Figure 2, causing a depression of the valve stem 39 which isentirely independent of the bodily movement of that valve stem broughtabout by the operation of the lever 29. As the valve stem is depressed,the valve opens up an annular space between itself and the seat at thelower end of tube 30. Since the bell mouth is rapidly rotating at thistime, it is apparent that, as soon as the valve 42 is moved to an openposition, ad hesive is discharged through the annular space definedbetween the valve and its seat, and that this adhesive is thrown out bycentrifugal force through the annular slot between the bell mouth andthe member 48.

Depending upon the viscosity and nature of the adhesive used, theadhesive may be supplied by air pressure from the tank 36 through thetube 34, or may be supplied by operation of the pump 35. Since either ofthese expedients is contemplated, a shunt pipe 54 is shown in Figure 2,and valves 55 and 56 are associated with this pipe in such a way thatthe liquid may go from the tank directly to the conduit 34 or throughthe pump 35. In any event, the liquid under pressure is retained withinthe tube 30 until the time for discharge occurs, at which time thecollapse of the bellows 3| imparts an initial impulse to the adhesive toassist the pressure of the tank 36 or the pump 35 and insure a promptand equal distribution of the adhesive for centrifugal discharge to forman annular band within the upper interior of the tube 54.

While the invention has been described with reference to a manuallyoperated embodiment thereof, that is, an embodiment in which the lever29 is manually moved, it is apparent that the lever 29, or itsequivalent, may be machine operated in timed sequence with the fillingand closing operations so that the bell mouth will be lowered and thevalve opened in timed relation with the arrival of tubes requiring aband of adhesive to hold their end caps in position.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer which comprises a hollow supporting tube, a rotary centrifugaladhesive distributor mounted thereover, means for introducing adhesiveunder pressure into said supporting tube, valve means controlling flowfrom said tube to said distributor, and valve-operating means includinga driven portion within the tube, a driving portion without the tube andan intermediate bellowsestablishing a driving connection between thedriven portion and the driving portion and sealing the tube againstundesired out-leakage of adhesive.

2. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer which comprises a hollow supporting tube, a rotary centrifugaladhesive distributor mounted thereover, means for introducing adhesiveunder pressure into said supporting tube, valve means controlling flowfrom said tube to said distributor, means for reciprocating said tube,valve-operating means including a driven portion within the tube, adriving portion without the tube and an intermediate bellowsestablishing a driving connection between the driven portion and thedriving portion and sealing the tube against undesired out-leakage ofadhesive, and means responsive to tube reciprocatory movement in onedirection for activating said valve-operating means in a valve-openingdirection, said bellows normally resiliently maintaining said valve inclosed position.

3. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer which comprises a hollow supporting tube, a rotary centrifugalad.- hesive distributor mounted thereover, an adhesive storagecontainer, means for putting adhesive in said container under gaspressure, means for introducing adhesive under gas pressure into saidhollow supporting tube, valve means controlling flow from said tube tosaid distributor, and valveoperating means including a driven portionwithin the tube, a driving portion without the tube and an interveningbellows connecting the driving and driven portions, said bellowsnormally maintaining the valve in its closed position and sealing thesleeve against undesired out-leakage of adhesive.

4. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer which comprises a hollow supporting tube, a rotary centrifugaladhesive distributor mounted thereover, a positive displacement pump forintroducing adhesive under pressure into said hollow supporting tube,valve means controlling flow from said tube distributor, andvalve-operating means including a driven portion within the tube, adriving portion without the tube and an intervening bellows connectingthe driving and driven portions together, sealing the sleeve againstundesired outleakage of adhesive and serving to bias the valve to itsclosed position.

5. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer comprising a stationary platform, a plate mounted from saidplatform for reciprocation toward and away from the platform, a hollowsupporting tube fixedly mounted on said plate, resilient means normallybiasing said plate to a predetermined position relative to saidplatform, means for displacing said plate toward said platform againstsaid bias, a centrifugal adhesive distributor mounted for rotation onsaid supporting tube and adapted to receive adhesive from said tube fordistribution to the interior of a container, means for rotating saiddistributor, valve means for controlling flow from said tube to saiddistributor, means including a flexible conduit for introducing adhesiveunder pressure into said tube, and valve-operating means including adriven portion within the tube, a driving portion supported on saidplate and lying without the tube and a bellows connecting said drivingand driven portions, sealing the sleeve against leakage and normallybiasing the valve to closed position, and means in the I path ofmovement of said driving portion as said plate is moved toward theplatform for actuating said driving portion to open said valve.

6. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer or the like which comprises a stationary platform, a sleevehaving a bell mouth, said sleeve being rotatably mounted within saidplatform, a tube mounted within said sleeve fixedly mounted relative tosaid platform and terminating short of the mouth thereof in a valveseat, a bellows closing the other end of said tube, a valve coactingwith said seat, a valve stem connected at one end to said valve,extending through said tube and connected at its other end to saidbellows, means for introducing adhesive under pressure into said tube,means for rotating said sleeve, means for reciprocating said tube, andmeans responsive to movement of said tube in one direction forcollapsing said bellows to open said valve, said bellows servingnormally to bias said valve in closed position.

'1. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer or the like which comprises a stationary platform, a sleevehaving a bell mouth, said sleeve being rotatably mounted within saidplatform, a tube mounted within said sleeve fixedly mounted relative tosaid platform and terminating short of the mouth thereof in a valveseat, a bellows closing the other end of said tube, a valve coactingwith said seat, a valve stem connected at one end to said valve,extending through said tube and connected at its other end to saidbellows, an adhesive storage tank, means to put the adhesive in saidtank under gas pressure, means for introducing adhesive under gaspressure into said tube, means for rotating said sleeve, means forreciprocating said tube, and means responsive to movement of said tubein one direction for collapsing said bellows to open said valve, saidvalve being biased to the closing position by said bellows.

8. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer or the like which comprises a stationary platform, a sleevehaving a bell mouth, said sleeve being rotatably mounted within saidplatform, a tube mounted within said sleeve fixedly mounted relative tosaid platform and terminating short of the mouth thereof in a valveseat, a bellows closing the other end of said tube, a valve coactingwith said seat, a valve stem connected at one end to said valve,extending through said tube and connected at its other end to saidbellows, an adhesive storage container, a positive displacement pump,means connecting the container to the pump inlet, means connecting thepump outlet to said tube, means for rotating said sleeve, means forreciprocating said tube, and means responsive to movement of said tubein one direction for collapsing said bellows to open said valve, saidbellows normally biasing said valve to closed position.

9. Apparatus for applying a band of adhesive to the interior of acontainer or the like which comprises a stationary platform, a sleevehaving a bell mouth, said sleeve being rotatably mounted within saidplatform, a tube mounted within said sleeve fixedly mounted relative tosaid platform and terminating short of the valve thereof in a valveseat, a bellows closing the other end of said tube, a valve coactingwith said seat, a valve stem connected at one end of said valve,extending through said tube and connected at its other end to saidbellows, an adhesive storage container, means for introducing air underpressure into said container, a positive displacement pump, selectivemeans for establishing direct communication between said container andsaid tube, or communication through said pump, means for rotating saidsleeve, means for reciprocating said tube, and means responsive tomovement of said tube in one direction for collapsing said bellows toopen said valve, said bellows normally biasing said valve to closedposition.

JOHN KEARSLEY M. HARRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,098,857 Buckingham Nov. 9, 19372,319,865 James May 25, 1943 2,324,455 Keim et al. July 13, 1943

